Signatures, such as newspapers, are typically produced at high production rates of 80,000 or more newspapers per hour. Signatures are delivered from the press, in overlapping fashion and are delivered to stackers which count and stack the newspapers forming bundles of either compensated or non-compensated type, said bundles comprising typically from as few as ten or fifteen newspapers to the order of one hundred newspapers per bundle. When a bundle is completed, it is typically provided with a protective wrap sheet which is wrapped about several surfaces (typically a bottom surface and two contiguous side surfaces) of the bundle whereupon the bundle is then tied with the wrap sheet in place.
Previous techniques employed to wrap a bundle typically utilize an articulated mechanical arm equipped with either suction heads or grippers for grabbing the wrapping paper off of the surface of the conveyor belts carrying the bundles and lifting the wrapping paper above the conveyor belt to form a "wall" of wrapping paper which lies in the path of movement of the approaching bundle. The mechanical arm moves at very high speed between the elevated and withdrawn positions subjecting the mechanical arm to severe wearing. In addition, the movement of the arm creates an extremely hazardous condition to personnel.
It is, therefore, extremely advantageous to provide apparatus for wrapping bundles of signatures, such as newspapers, in a high speed and yet safe manner and through the use of apparatus which does not present a hazard to operating personnel and does not require high speed movement of large mechanical arms.